Lentils Shine in a Dish Called Mujadara

I like lentils. Liking lentils in the first place, may - or may not - preclude some from liking this dish. 

I had heard of Mujadara. I just never researched it to find out what, exactly, it was. I am not at all sure how or why I missed out on this meal, but I surely do wish I'd found out sooner, because it is one amazingly flavored dish. 

Mujadara

Mujadara is a Lebanese / Middle Eastern concoction of lentils and rice. Rice can be substituted with bulghur. Lentils and rice are pretty bland fare, on their own. They need a lot of help in the flavor department. I believe what interested me the most when reading the recipes online - particularly the ones written by Lebanese or other Middle Eastern bloggers - is the near lack of any flavorings beyond a little cumin - and a whole boatload of onions. These onions are sauteed until very, very dark; far darker than the norm. These deeply caramelized, nigh on to burnt (but not quite) onions are what provide the absolutely heavenly flavor to the otherwise not too exciting lentils and rice. 

Every cook has their own way of making a thing. Every cook has their own reasoning as to why it should be that way. I have absolutely no argument on method, and depending on the outcome, I may change a method to suit my own lifestyle. And at my age, I look for the simplest way, the fewest steps, the least cleanup possible. I have ranted on that subject here before, so I won't go into it again. But, when it requires three or four different pots or skillets to make one meal, I look immediately  to how that can be simplified. 

Maureen's Cookbook

Maureen Abood, a Lebanese-American lady I have been following for years on her blog, Facebook and with her cookbook called "Rose Water and Orange Blossoms," has recipes amazingly easy to understand. When dealing with an unknown culture, it helps to have someone both knowledgeable in the foods themselves, but also articulate enough to translate that into descriptions that clarify to a person not of that culture. I have some go-to Indian blogs that have fantastic recipes. Some though, assume that one knows what one is doing and so the recipes require some trial and error. And errors happen way too easily, when one "assumes!"

Ultimately, Maureen's recipe is the one that gave me the clearest idea of the whys and the wherefores of making Mujadara, though I had read about 8 recipes online and had already scribbled down two versions of what I thought I would do. 

What is Mujadara?

As mentioned above, Mujadara is a dish of lentils and rice (or bulghur), made with a surfeit of deep, dark, caramelized onions. The onions completely make this dish. Do not stint on the onions. In fact, in one blog, this admonition was followed by the fact that her relatives used twice the amount used in her recipe!

Whenever I research a recipe from a culture that is not mine, I try and stick to recipes from people of that culture. They would certainly know better what it is that makes a dish. Reading recipes from other sources not of the culture, where a slew of additional flavors are added in, either as enhancement or compensation, well, this is, IMHO, trying to change the culture, and there I try instead to remain a purist. 

In all the recipes written by a Middle Eastern (by background and culture, no matter where they live), there were - besides salt and water - just 5 main ingredients: lentils, rice (or bulghur), lots of onions, oil for sauteeing the onions (usually olive oil) and cumin. Period. Amounts may vary. Methods may vary. Ingredients did not vary. 

👀I did opt to parboil the lentils in a separate pan, for the one simple reason that it is best not to salt the lentils while they cook, as this toughens their skins and makes a longer cooking time. 

Ultimately, my Mujadara, though it takes a little while to make, was so very worthwhile. The flavors were sublime. My husband will tolerate lentils, if in the right application. He loved this dish nearly as much as I. I heartily recommend it to anyone. Vegetarians will love it for its complete protein. It is great accompanied by a simple salad, or tomatoes, or a tomato and cucumber salad. Of course, meat to accompany is fine. A dollop of Greek yogurt, or as I used, tzatziki, is also a great flavor combo. 

Mujadara

Mujadara

Serves 8 as a side dish

1 cup brown lentils

1 cup long grain or basmati rice

4 cups water, divided

4 medium onions, divided (more, if desired)

2 - 4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

Begin with the onions, as these take time. Chop three of the onions. Heat a goodly sized skillet over medium to medium low heat. Add in half the olive oil to heat and then the chopped onions. Stirring often, saute the onions until they are well past simple caramelization, and on into the realm of almost burnt. Sprinkle the salt over the onions while cooking as this helps draw moisture. The darker the onions, the better the flavors in the dish. Towards the end of cooking, add in the  cumin.

Dark Sauteed Onions for Garnish

Once the onions are almost ready, place 2 cups of the water and the lentils into a medium saucepan. Cover and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes. The lentils are just parboiled at this time. Add the contents of the pot, with any liquids remaining, to the onions in the large skillet. Add in the remaining 2 cups of water and the rice. Stir, bring to boil and lower to a simmer. Time for approximately 20 minutes. Leave the lid on and remove the skillet from the heat. Let steam for an additional 10 or 15 minutes if there is time. 

While the lentils and rice cook, heat another, smaller skillet and add the remaining olive oil. Cut the last onion into long slivers or rings and again, saute these until very deep dark in color. Once they are dark enough, pour them out onto paper toweling to absorb excess oil, and to crisp up a bit. Once the Mujadara is ready to serve, use these onions to garnish the dish.

Serve with a salad, a Shirazi salad (cucumber, tomato and onion), sliced tomatoes, a dollop of labneh, plain Greek yogurt, or tzatziki, some mint sprigs or cilantro, and this meal is fit for a king.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Keralan Breakfast

If you are new to this blog of mine, I must mention that I am way, way into Indian cooking. I love the flavors, the spices, the smells while cooking. I have yet to visit India, but I study regions and foods continuously. And I am always trying something new. Indian food has been a passion of mine, growing exponentially over the past 20 years. I try to stay as authentic as possible to recipes, including searching out new and/or unknown spices to try.

For those who have read this blog, I apologize for repeating myself. I just cannot help myself when it comes to Indian food!

For the past couple of years, I have had a couple of recipes setting on the back burner, so to speak. Most definitely of interest, but somehow I just never got down to refining a recipe of my own. These recipes are from Kerala, a state that runs down the southwest coast of India (similar to Chile, in South America). Apparently coconut trees are ubiquitous to the area, and Kerala is sometimes called Land of the Coconuts. Rice is another food found everywhere and at most meals. Not surprising then, that coconut and rice together play a huge part in the cuisine of this state. 

Vegetable Ishtu

And so, we come to the point of this rambling monologue. The recipes I had been eyeing for a good couple of years were a Coconut Vegetable Stew, called Vegetable Ishtu (or Ishtoo), the locals' pronunciation of the British term of "stew." The stew looked so pretty with its white base and colorful vegetables. Plus, I just love coconut and coconut milk. The other recipe I was eying was one of the many, many possible accompaniments to this stew, called Appam, a bowl-shaped rice and coconut crepe. 

Vegetable Ishtu

Vegetable Ishtu

Serves 4 to 5 as an accompaniment

½ cup peeled, ¼-inch diced potato
½ cup peeled, ¼-inch diced carrots
½ cup frozen baby peas
½ cup cauliflower, in tiny florets, optional

GROUND MIXTURE:
1 tablespoon channa dal/desi channa dal
3 tablespoons raw cashews
1 tablespoon white poppy seed, optional
1 - 3 green chili peppers, seeds removed for less heat
1½-inch piece true cinnamon quill
2 whole green cardamom pods
2 whole cloves

TEMPERING:
1 - 2 tablespoons coconut oil
20 curry leaves
1 onion, chopped finely
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced

1 can (14.5 ounce) coconut milk
½ -1 teaspoon salt, as needed

Heat a dry skillet over medium to medium high heat and toast the channa dal, stirring constantly, until deep golden. Set in a plate to cool. Toast the cashews briefly, stirring constantly, until they get some browned spots. Place into the plate to cool. Once cooled, put these and the remaining Ground Mixture ingredients into a blender container with ½-cup water and blend to a smooth paste. Set aside.

In a saucepan combine the cubed vegetables and just barely cover with water. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook the vegetables until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. While the vegetables cook, heat the skillet again and add in the coconut oil. Once hot, drop in the curry leaves to crackle a bit and add in the onion. Saute the onion until nice and soft, but not golden. Add in the ginger and stir, cooking just until fragrant. Add the reserved ground past mixture along with the vegetables with their water and the coconut milk. Add in the salt and taste for seasoning. Stir well and cover over very low simmer, to meld flavors.

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Appam, huh?

Appam seems to be a generic term for a whole variety of possible iterations of the basic rice and coconut based bread-like accompaniments that run from thin and crepe-like to pancake thick and all sorts of variations. The terms are very confusing, because many places seem to term Appam and Palappam as the same thing. Then there is Vallayappam, which seems to be the same batter, except instead of thinning to crepe-consistency, this batter is left like pancake batter and made like pancakes, although without flipping them. There are also Idiyappam, where the batter is pressed through a device that results in strings that are bunched into an idli mold and steamed, as for idli. There are some variations that call for the addition of some vegetables and or onion. It seems, truly, that the variations are almost endless, when it comes to Appam.

Appam / Palappam

What all of this comes down to is the use of rice and coconut in a fermented batter. The batter is fermented, similarly to idli, whether by natural fermentation, the use of yeast or the use of a local fermented alcoholic beverage. In the making of idli, I have yet to have the batter actually ferment, so I end up using a bit of baking soda at the last minute. In the recipe I cobbled together for my Appam, I did use yeast, and the batter fermented beautifully, all bubbly and aromatic in the morning. My Appam (or Palappam) are a bowl-shaped crepe-like creation, and often are cooked until the underside is truly browned. I cooked mine to a bit less done: they were golden underneath, though nowhere approaching browned. They are delicate and soft and white and lacy. 

To make these, a rounded pan, like a small wok (called an appachatti), is used. The batter is poured into the center and quickly swirled, as for crepes, but with the batter going up the rounded edges, then pooling back down to the center. The center remains thicker and soft, while the outer edges become very lacy and a little crisp. As I do not own an appachatti, I used my smallest pan, an old All-Clad "non-stick" 8-inch pan. When I rotated the pan to allow the batter access to the sides, I had to be careful not to get the batter onto the inner rivets, as it would stick. So, my appams were a little lower on one side, but it made no difference at all.

The true recipe for Appam (of any variety) calls for the use of raw rice and fresh coconut. It can also call for additions of Poha rice (a flattened, dried, parboiled rice) or some previously cooked and cooled rice. Some recipes call for a cooked rice flour paste to be added also. As the batter should ferment, and I have no local Indian alcoholic beverage on hand (in the U.S. southwest), I used a yeast version and made a shortcut method that worked wonderfully well.

Appam / Palappam

Appam / Palappam

Makes about 20 (10-inch) Appam

2 cups plain white rice flour
1 can (14.5 ounce) unsweetened coconut milk
1½ cups water, plus more for adjusting
¼ cup pre-cooked, cooled white rice
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon instant yeast
¾ teaspoon salt

Eight hours before using the batter: Mix the coconut milk and water in a blender with the cooked rice, sugar and yeast, blend briefly, then add in the rice flour and starting slowly, blend the mixture to a fine batter. If it is too thick, add in water, ½ cup at a time, until just shy of crepe batter consistency. Pour into a large mixing bowl and cover with plastic film. Allow this to stand on the counter 8 hours, or overnight.

After 8 hours, the batter should be bubbly and yeasty smelling. Stir and add in the salt. If the mixture is still too thick (which is easy to determine once you make one or two), add more water, a little at a time.
Preheat a small, round-sided pan. I used an 8-inch (bottom diameter) skillet. Whatever pan is used, it should have rounded, flared sides. Once very hot, brush with a film of ghee or coconut whatever is needed to be able to very quickly roll the pan so the batter goes up the sides of the pan. Once done swirling, the remaining batter should pool in the center of the pan, while the edges become very lacy. It takes a few minutes at medium heat or higher until the edges begin to loosen. Once the appam is browned on the bottom, remove to a plate. Amount of browning is totally subjective.

Serve these appam with the Vegetable Ishtu recipe above, or (less authentically) with Sambar. It is also great with any chutney, or any meat or fish stew leftover from dinner. 



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Mouthwatering Chicken Dinner

My son's birthday is in a few days, but the only time he could visit was this past week, so I made him a birthday dinner a week early. Within reason, I ask what he'd like for dinner and then I make it - my birthday gift. So this time, he asked for Chicken Madeira and risotto and Bread Pudding.

The Bread Pudding recipe is one I've made many times over the years, although it has been truly years now since the last time I made it, so that was a welcome recipe to revisit! 

Chicken Madeira

As for risotto, I have made a few of them over the years, also. Nothing I have made real note of, though, so I had no place to fall back on for that recipe. And as for Chicken Madeira - I was stumped. I had heard of Chicken Marsala, though I never made that, but Chicken Madeira? So at first, I wondered if he just named the wrong alcohol? Nope, apparently not, as I looked it up online. 

What was mainly available online were recipes that were "Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Madeira recipes." I've only ever eaten at Cheesecake Factory once maybe, many years ago, and this was not what I ate! I looked the recipes over, but they just didn't do it for me. While I don't care to drink Madeira on its own, I do like to cook with it. It is a special style of fortified wine that comes from the Portuguese island of Madeira. I have not used anything US domestic, nor would I. There are very nice Madeiras from Madeira that are inexpensive enough and more authentic. Generally, I have a Rainwater Madeira on hand, and as it is a lighter style, it is wonderful for cooking. 

So on with perusing recipes I went, and after reading what was available, I realized that essentially, this dish is made almost identically to the way I make my sauteed mushrooms. The main difference (besides the addition of chicken, of course) is that some of the alcohol liquid is left in the pan (and generally I use dry Sherry) rather than evaporating off all of the alcohol, and then the addition of some stock to further use for gravy. All the rest of the recipe is my own preferred method, despite finding others who did it basically the same way. I opted to do some things in advance, such as making my own stock. 

For the chicken, instead of buying whole chicken breasts, then slicing them into two flat pieces, pounding them to ¼-inch thickness - I bought chicken cutlets, already sliced thinly. This saved some time. Even so, it probably would have been better to pound a couple of them that were still cut a bit too thick. Oh well.

The Stock

For the stock, I bought some beef marrow bones at the grocery, and a couple of days in advance, set them on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven for about an hour, until they were browned a bit. This gives great flavor to a stock. Then I placed the bones into a large pot with about 8 quarts of water, 1 onion with skins on (these give great color to the stock), 1 bay leaf and a teaspoon of black peppercorns, whole. I cooked this on a very low temperature, barely simmering, for two hours. At this point, I removed the 4 cups of stock that would be needed for the risotto. The stock had nice flavors at this point, but not overwhelming. I do not salt my stock, opting to salt the dish as needed when that time comes.

The rest of the stock, I allowed to slow-simmer for the remainder of the afternoon, planning to reduce the liquid by evaporation from 3 quarts to 1½ cups (just under one quart). By nearly dinner time, I removed the bones, onion and bay leaf and allowed the stock to further reduce to the 1½ cups I wanted. I strained this through a fine mesh strainer and stored this to use for the liquid in the chicken recipe. 

Chicken Madeira

Chicken Madeira

Makes 8 pieces of chicken

8 chicken cutlets, OR 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts halved into two flat pieces each and pounded to ¼-inch thickness
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1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ pounds baby bella mushrooms, or white button mushrooms, sliced
½ teaspoon salt
2 large shallots, sliced thinly
2 - 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced finely
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1¾ cups Madeira wine
2 - 3 quarts unsalted stock (chicken or beef)
oil, as needed for frying chicken cutlets
½ cup all purpose flour
salt, for sprinkling on chicken
--------
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch

A day or two ahead, slowly simmer the 2 - 3 quarts of stock down to just 1½ cups, cool, cover and refrigerate until needed.

Earlier in the day (if time will be an issue) heat a large skillet and add in the tablespoon each of olive oil and butter and add in the mushrooms and the half-teaspoon salt. Stirring often, saute the mushrooms. First, they will begin to release a huge amount of water. Cook past this, allowing all the liquid to evaporate and the mushrooms to begin browning. Now add in the shallots and continue to cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are nicely browned and the shallots are very soft. Add in the garlic, pepper and the thyme leaves and toss well, until the garlic is fragrant. Add in the Madeira wine and raise the heat, then cook, stirring, until the wine has reduced to a thick, glossy paste in the pan. Remove from heat and set aside.

When ready to proceed with the recipe, heat another large skillet with some of the extra oil. Sprinkle all the chicken cutlets with a little salt on each side, then lightly dredge each cutlet in the flour. Fry the cutlets until they are done to 165 degrees internal temperature at the thickest parts of the meat, and remove them to an oven safe tray and keep warm, at the lowest oven setting.

Add the reduced stock to the pan with the mushrooms and set back on the heat. Cook the stock down slightly more. Stir together the water and cornstarch and pour into the pan and stirring quickly, cook until the mixture thickens just slightly. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. [If you choose to do the chef-like finish, you can also whisk in a couple of tablespoons of butter, just before adding the chicken. I had planned to do this and completely forgot!]

To serve, set each of the chicken cutlets into the mushroom sauce, turning to coat with sauce, then set on a platter. Serve extra mushroom sauce on the side.

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Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Risotto

As for the risotto, 

I sort of followed a recipe from Kylee Cooks, but made some of my own adjustments. I made my own stock, and it was from beef bones, not chicken or vegetable stock. I used large shallots rather then onion. I also roasted a head of garlic to nicely tender and light brown, then extracted all the garlic and passed it through a garlic press to remove anything hard or clumpy, then used it all in the dish. If I made this recipe again, I believe an added cup of the stock would have been better. The rice just was a little more "al dente" than I was truly comfortable with, while eating. Flavors were wonderful.

Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Risotto

Serves 6 - 8

Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Risotto

1 head garlic
1 pinch fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon olive oil
--------
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 large shallots, chopped finely
1½ cups arborio rice
⅓ cup dry vermouth, dry Sherry or other dry white wine
4 - 5 cups hot beef, chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup parsley, finely minced

Earlier in the day (or up to three days in advance), preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Clean a head of garlic, slicing a bit of the root end off so it will set straight. Cut off about a quarter-inch from the top of the head. Any little tips of the garlic that were cut off, remove from their papery skin and set atop the cut top of the head. Place the head of garlic onto a piece of aluminum foil and wrap foil up around the head, leaving the top open. Set the pinch of fresh thyme leaves on top, then the teaspoon of olive oil, then pinch the top closed. Set the garlic in its little packet into an oven-safe ramekin and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Once done, cool, then press out all the garlic into a small bowl. Either mash or pass through a garlic press. Cover and refrigerate if not using that day.

To Make Risotto: Heat a saucepan with the 4 - 5 cups of stock and have nearby. Heat a 4 - 6 quart saucepan and add in the tablespoon of oil and butter. Saute the chopped shallots until very soft. Add in the roasted, pressed garlic, and stir well, then add in the rice. Stir well to coat all the rice grains with the oil and butter. Pour in the dry vermouth and cook quickly until the vermouth (or other wine) is completely evaporated. Begin adding in the hot stock, one ladle full at a time, stirring the rice until each ladle of stock is absorbed. To use all the stock should take about 20 to 25 minutes. Be sure to leave a little bit of the liquid in the rice after the last ladle full of stock has been added.

When ready to serve, stir in the Parmesan cheese and the parsley, reserving a bit of parsley as garnish on top.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Different Kind of Potato Salad

It seems I have barely gotten around to trying anything new on the recipe front. So much stress has been present in other areas of my life, that sometimes it is all I can do to make some old tried and true recipes and have done with it. Not that there is anything wrong with the old tried and true, but it makes for scant blog posts.

Lamb Curry - Indian Rice & Cabbage - Rhubarb Pecan Coffeecake

Last week on Monday our friend Rich arrived with two fishing buddies, both of whom have visited in past. They are fun to be around, so that part is good, and they love to eat, so that is also good, for someone who loves to cook to please people. The guys went out at 7 in the morning and returned around 4:30 PM for the first three days. They did catch some fish, and ceviche was planned, in that eventuality. Meanwhile, I had my hands full with cooking dinners to feed three guys and me. Plus desserts. The first night I had made a lamb curry recipe; Curried Lamb with Peas. With the curry, I made Indian Cabbage and Rice, using brown rice to add a little fiber with the cabbage. I had some Naan breads in the freezer and pulled them out and everything went, with the guys practically licking the serving bowls. I had bought rhubarb at the Farmers' Market, so I made Rhubarb Pecan Coffeecake for dessert, and there was very little of that 9 x 13-inch pan of cake left! I had substituted all but ½ cup of whole grain Kamut Khorasan flour for the amount called for in the recipe, and no one noticed, so I got a little extra fiber and whole grain goodness in there without difficulty. 

Gumbo - Chocolate Beet Cake - Cream Cheese Icing

On Tuesday morning, I had absolutely nothing at all planned for dinner, and was starting to panic, trying to think of what I could make. I ended up making Chicken & Andouille Gumbo, with white rice on the side. I would  have preferred to make whole brown rice, but didn't have enough and didn't want to take the time out to run to the store. That recipe makes a very large pot, so even with everyone serving themselves second helpings, we had Gumbo leftover. That night I made my Chocolate Beet Cake, revised for dessert, frosting it with Cream Cheese Frosting. I used Kamut Khorasan flour in the Chocolate Beet Cake, revised recipe also, and it was delicious that way. The guys made a very serious dent in that cake too, though there was enough for the next night's dessert.

Lamb Burgers with Greek Olive Tapenade

Day Three I made Lamb Burgers, served with my usual Greek Olive Tapenade. The big difference in the burger recipe is that ever since making them in mini size for last year's wine tasting event, I had grated the feta and added it to the burger mixture before grilling. This worked so well that this is how I do it now, and it is so much better and easier. 
 

Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad

For a side dish to go with the Lamb Burgers, I did actually create a new salad side dish. Not a salad in the sense of "greens" but I used roasted sweet potatoes as a base and added in things as I thought of them. I wanted to use some leftover grilled corn kernels, and black beans, since they make a great contrast. I wanted to use a vinaigrette and no mayo. Into the vinaigrette I added some odd mixtures, but it all came out tasting wonderful. For crunch, I went for celery, red bell pepper and scallions. It came out colorful and absolutely delicious, and the guys polished all that off too. And it all happened so fast I totally forget to take any photos! That was no hardship though, so I made another batch that my husband and I have been enjoying for these past couple of days on our own. 

Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad

Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad

Serves 6 

1½ pounds sweet potatoes
1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt

VINAIGRETTE:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced finely
1 teaspoon Curry powder or Garam Masala
½ teaspoon salt
dash pepper
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1 cup roasted/grilled fresh corn kernels
¾ cup red bell pepper, small chunks
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, well rinsed and drained
½ cup chopped scallions
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
½ cup chopped cilantro (or parsley, if preferred)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into about 1-inch cubes. Toss the cubed sweet potato with the olive oil and salt, then spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside to cool slightly before combining.

Place all the vinaigrette ingredients into a medium mixing bowl (one that will hold all the salad, ultimately) and whisk until combined.  Add in the slightly cooled sweet potatoes, and all the remaining ingredients and toss well. Garnish with cilantro leaves.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Great Rice Dish with Superb Flavor

Another rice dish. Well, I have been making lots of whole grain rice, and sometimes it's great to have it be something with added new flavors. This particular dish is really superb. The flavors are bright and fresh and paired exceptionally well with the Hoisin Pork I was serving for dinner. Since I was trying to come up with a side dish for the Hoisin pork, these flavors really worked.

The recipe for the Hoisin Pork was originally made to serve as appetizers. Last night I just sliced it to serve as dinner. I still had some of the Blackberry Chutney left so that was artfully spooned over the meat slices to serve.  
 

Tropical Rice

The rice dish had one main criteria; it had to have plenty of vegetables added, so it would be adequate vegetable to rice ratio. I believe this worked well. So well in fact that we all served small portions and what was meant to be a portion of rice and a portion of vegetables, turned out to be just one, single small serving. Oh well.

What makes the flavors so good with the pork are things like lime juice, dark, toasted Asian sesame oil and the grilled pineapple. I tossed in some Macadamia nuts at the end for some texture. My goal of late is healthy, meaning plenty of vegetables and lots of fiber, coming also from lots of lentils, mainly of the Indian variety. Rice is only whole grain, sometimes red, sometimes dark brown Wehani, sometimes red and sometimes just simple brown rice.

Grilling pineapple

The grilled pineapple is exceptional for flavor, but if you don't have a grill, or just don't feel like grilling, just raw pineapple or even canned (in its own juice) will do in a pinch. Grilled pineapple has such a great kind of sweetness, offset by a bit of charring and I highly recommend it! Simply use large spears of pineapple and set them onto a very hot grill, turning as each side acquires a nice charring of grill lines. Chop into small cubes once done. Since I was grilling the pork, I took the opportunity to grill the pineapple at the same time.
 
I had found some mizuna (Japanese mustard or spider mustard) at the Farmers' Market a couple of days ago, and last minute lightly chopped about a cup of that to add in.  If not available, baby arugula would also be perfect. All in all, it was one bowl of splendid flavors.

Mizuna Greens

Tropical Rice

Serves 4 to 8, depending on portion size

Tropical Rice

¾ cup brown rice
1½ to 2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon dark Asian sesame oil
1 cup grilled pineapple, cut into small cubes
1 small cucumber, seeded, in small cubes
1 cup mizuna, or substitute baby arugula or spinach, chopped
¾ cup chopped orange bell pepper
½ cup chopped scallions
½ cup chopped cilantro or parsley
½ cup macadamia nuts, halved

About an hour and a half before serving, make the rice: place the brown rice into a saucepan with ¾ teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Lower heat to simmer and cover with a lid. Follow package directions for cooking time (mine cooked for 55 minutes). Once cooked, remove from heat, remove lid and let cool.

Once cooled, add the lime juice and dark Asian sesame oil to the rice and toss well. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine the remaining ingredients and toss well. Add in the rice and mix well to combine and serve immediately. Or allow to chill and serve cold.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.